Liquid hydrocarbon fuel burning device



Dec. 31, 1935. 3 w s 2,025,837

LIQUID HYDROCARBON FUEL BURNING DEVICE Filed May 18, 1934 INVENTOR. 50mm 7011 /8 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED TATES FFEQE 2,025,837 LIQUID HYDROCARBON FUEL BURNING DEVICE Boyd W. Tullis, Wichita, Kans. Application May 18, 1934, Serial No. 726,309

Claims. (01. 15881) as a preliminary step to supply combustible fuel through a cold generator which later becomes hot due to its proximity to the burner so that raw liquid fuel can then be fed to the generator to be vaporized and therefore only liquid fuel will be 151 delivered to the generator. This method eliminates the necessity for preheating the generator and the general plan is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,718,473, issued June 25, 1929, to J. E. Mc- Cutchen. The present invention contemplates more particularly a thermostatic control for varying the eifective port area'of the liquid inlet to the vaporizing generator supply and the invention will be understood by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

The figure is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring now to the drawing by numerals of reference: I designates a tank or font having a threaded collar 2 to receive the threaded stud or nipple 3 of a plug or fitting 1. The nipple carries an elongated tube 5 which extends down to a point near the bottom of the font so that it will be below the normal liquid level therein and it carries at its lower end a cap 6 having a passageway communicating with the upstanding air tube 8 which has its inlet in the air space 9 above the liquid level iii. The cap 6 is provided with a liquid inlet opening I! which communicates with the tube 5 to deliver fuel into the horizontal passageway I2 in the fitting 4. The passageway is provided with a valve seat l3 to receive the valve M on the end of the stem iii in screw threaded engagement with a gland IS, the valve stem being turned by the disc ll. The passageway communicates with a vaporizing generator l8 of approved construction which delivers fuel into a mixing chamber not shown which may also 5 be of approved construction andowhich has a depending tube l9 carrying a mantle or burner 29 adjacent to the vaporizing generator l8.

In line with the axis of the tube 5 is a packing gland 2| through which a regulator 22 extends.

55. The regulator consists of an elongated cylindrical bar having an end 23 of less diameter than the diameter of the inlet H and the upper end is provided with a head 24 having a constricted intermediate portion 25 straddled by a bifurcated end 26 on the U-shaped thermostatic bar 27?, the 53."

lower leg 28 of which is fastened to the fitting 4 by a screw 29. The font IE! will be provided with the usual filler cap and means for introducing air under pressure into the space 9.

When the parts are assembled and the regu- 10= lator end 23 in the inlet opening I l and the valve l4 unseated, air will flow from the space Q through the tub-e 8 up through tube 5 through the passageway l2 in the fitting, through the.

generator l8 through the mixing chamber into 16;;

the burner or mantle 20. This air will contain the lighter ends of the hydrocarbon fuel (for example, gasoline), being enriched by the liquid which will pass by the regulator in the inlet so that the fuel will be rich enough and yet light 20;

enough to permit it to be ignited by the application of amatch flame to the burner 20.

Since the burner 20 is in close proximity to the generator, it will quickly heat the generator to a liquid vaporizing temperature so that now raw liquid can be fed to the generator in sufficient quantities to supply the burner demand. As soon as the generator is heated to vaporizing temperature there will be no further occasion to utilize the air from space 9 so it is then desir- 0' able to cut off the supply of air. This is accomplished by moving the regulator out of the inlet opening so that its effective port area is enlarged to such an extent that liquid will flow up through the tube past the passageway 6 and 35 cut off the air supply tube. The device shown for accomplishing this is the thermostatic blade 21 which is so designed that it will heat at the same time that the vaporizing generator I8 is heated so that when the generator I8 is hot enough to vaporize the liquid, the thermostat will open to cause the regulator to recede from the opening to permit a full flow of liquid into the tube '5. Therefore, the air from space 9 will be automatically cut off in response to' heat from 45 the burner. When seating the valve M, the supply of liquid to the generator will be cut off so that the burner will cease to operate permitting the thermostat 2'! to cool so that its free end 30 will assume the dottedline position shown in the drawing, to permit the regulator to move back into the inlet opening H to restrict its effective port area, but since the diameter of the regulator is less than that of the inlet opening, it will be apparent that the inlet opening II will not be entirely closed, therefore at the next operation when the valve H3 is unseated, air will again flow from the space 9 through tube 8 up through tube 5 through the tting to the generator, being 5 enriched by a small quantity of liquid which will pass through the inlet opening II around the regulator.

The thermostat is made of bi-metallic metal and its operation will therefore be generally understood.

It will be apparent by reference to the drawing that the lower end of the member 22 is of 7 smaller diameter than the tip opening I I, therefore the tipopening is never closed. When the opening ll receives the lower end of member 22- the tip opening is almost closed but there is sufficient passageway or efiective port area to allow a small quantity of liquid hydrocarbon'fuel to flow up into tube 5 even when the valve M is seated. Therefore, when the lamp is not in use the liquid in the font will fiow into the tube 5 to a point above the passageway 1. At this time the air space 9 is also in communication with the pipe or tube 5 through the air tube 8 and the pas- 255 sageway 1. When the valve H1 is first unseated the air pressure in space 9 being greater than the hydrostatic pressure will cause air to flow down through pipe 8 out through pipe 5, through passage 2| to the generator is, initially carrying over the slug of gasoline or other hydrocarbon fuel which was in the tube 5 so that a very rich mixture will be supplied to the burner. The air from space 9 will continue to flow down through pipe 3,'through passageway I up through'pipe 5 tothe generator. At this time the thermostat is in the dotted line position and the end of the member 22 is in the tip opening H. Upon the initial ignition of fuel at the burner only as much liquid hydrocarbon fuel can pass up through tube 5 as can be admitted through the opening II reduced in cross section by the lower end of member 22 but when the generator and burner become hot enough to move thethermostat 20 to full line position shown in. the drawing then the endwill be drawnout of the tip, opening H permitting liquid to suddenly fioodthe pipe 5 and to cut off the air supply so that thereafter only liquid hydrocarbon fuel will pass up to the 50 generator.

The freeend of member 22 does-not actually close the inlet opening I! but it is herein'called a valve'because it has a valving action on the inlet.

5 It will be apparent that other forms of the thermostat may be used from those shown, so I do not wish'to be limited to the details illustrated.

What I claim is:

60 1. In a device for burning hydrocarbon fuel, a font having a liquid space and an air space above it to receive air under pressure, a fitting in the font, a liquid inlet tube connected to the fitting extending down below the liquid level in the tank 65 said tube having an inlet opening, a vaporizing generator connected to the fitting, a burner, there being a passageway from the tube through the fitting and generator to the burner, a valve in V the fitting, a valve in the tube having a cross sectional area less than the liquid inlet tube and normally projecting within the inlet, an air tube having its inlet in the air space and its outlet discharging into the first named tube, and a thermostat'responsive to heat from the burner for moving the valve out of the inlet for the first named tube when said thermostat becomes heated.

2. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning device a font having a liquid space and an air space above it to receive air under pressure in contact with the 5 liquid, a fitting in the font, a tube connected to the fitting having an inlet below the normal liquid level, said tube having an inlet opening, an air tube having its inlet communicating with the space above the liquid and its outlet .discharging 10 into the tube, a vaporizing generator, a burner to communicate therewith, and a valve for closing communication between the first named tube and the generator through a passageway in the fitting, a valve extending into the tube, said valve 15 havinga cross-sectional area less than that of the inlet for the first named tube and a thermostatic means responsive to heat from the burner for actuating the last named valve to withdraw it from the inlet of the first named tube when 20 said 'thermostatbecomes heated.

3. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning device a font having a. liquid space and. an air space above it to receive air under pressure in'contact with-the liquid, a fitting in the font, a tube connected'to 25:. the fitting, having an inlet below the normal liquid level, anair tube having its inlet communicating withthe space above the liquid and its outlet discharging into the tube, a vaporizing generator, a burner to communicate therewith, m and a valve for closing communication between the first named tube and the generator through a passageway in the fitting, a valve extendinginto the tube, said valve having a cross-sectional area less than that of the inlet for the first named tube and a thermostatic means responsive to heat from the burner for actuating the second mentioned valve to withdraw it from the inlet of the rst named tube when the thermostat is heated, said thermostatic means comprising a substantial U-shaped blade having one end anchored and the other end freely movable in engagement with a part .on the second mentioned valve.

4. Ina hydrocarbon fuel burning device a font having a liquid space and an airspace above it to receive air under pressure in'contact with the liquid, a fitting in the font, a tube connected to the fitting, having an inlet below the normal liquid level, an air tube having its inlet communicating with the space above the liquid and 50.. its outlet discharging into the tube, a vaporizing generator, a burner to communicate therewith, and a valve for closing communication between the first named tube and the generator through a passageway in the fitting, a second valve ex-'55 tending into the tube, said second mentioned valve having a cross-sectional area less than that of the inlet for the first named "tube anda thermostatic means responsive to heat from the burner for actuating the second mentioned valve to withdraw it from the inlet of the first namedtube when the thermostat is heated, said thermostatic means comprising a substantial U-shaped blade having one end anchored to the fitting and the other end freely movable in engagement with a part on the second valve.

5. In a device of the class described a font having a liquid space, an air space above it to receive air under pressure in contact therewith, a fitting connected to the font having a valved passage- 7 way, a burner to receive vaporized fuel fromthe generator, a liquid supply tube communicating with the passageway in the fitting and having an inlet below the liquid level in the font, an air tube communicating with the air space in the 7 font and discharging into the liquid supply tube and a regulator in the first named tube having an end whose cross sectional area is less than that of the inlet for the first named tube, the end being normally in the inlet to reduce the efiective port area of the inlet and a thermostat responsive to changes in temperature from the burner and the generator to impart motion to the regulator to withdraw the end out of the inlet when the generator reaches a liquid vaporizing temperature.

BOYD W. TUILIS. 

